In Those Hours
by Cymberline
Summary: What no one was supposed to know about was the hours he spent in library with her. Not his girlfriend. The other her. In those hours, everything changed. Sirius was no longer popular, nor notorious. He was, just simply, himself.[SBOC,JPLE]Full sum. inside
1. Chapter 1

Hey guyyyyys. Harry Potter fic no.2. The full sumarry is as below. Read, Review and most of all, enjoy.

Also.

I obviously don't own Harry Potter. It belongs to JKR. I'm just a bored fan with nothing better to do after finished Deathly Hallows.

Anyway.

ONWARDS!

**_In Those Hours._**

Sirius Black had it all at Hogwarts. He was notorious, he was popular- one could even say he was notorious for being popular! He had three best friends, and a wonderful girlfriend. She was just like him. Popular, beautiful- they were the Hogwarts 'it' couple. People always assumed they'd get married. They'd already started calling her Anna Black, just as a joke.

What no one was supposed to know about was the hours he is spent in library with her. Not his girlfriend. The _other _her. In those hours, everything changed. Sirius was no longer popular, nor notorious. He was, just simply, himself.

But, deep down, Sirius knew that eventually he would be forced to choose between the popular, simple Anna, and the quirky outcast Klara. And with Voldemort on the rise and the times becoming more and more dangerous, things were not looking up.

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"Mr. Black! Would you kindly pay attention to the lesson?" Snapped Professor McGonagall, hands on her hips.

"But of course I was paying attention! How could I ever draw my eyes away from _you_ Professor?"

She glared down her nose at him, "Very funny Black. Now, would you please be considerate enough to take down the notes I've written on the board. Although, I'm sure a wizard of your calibre would have no need for the notes, as you already know it all."

"You're very right, I don't need it. But for you Professor, anything."

The class laughed, and James shot Sirius a wicked grin.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Black." McGonagall said coolly, "Now, back to work, everyone."

The class finished their work, and then promptly ran out as fast as they possibly could when all was said and done. James, Sirius and Remus gathered their things and moved towards the Great Hall for lunch. They walked together, James and Sirius laughing about the lesson while Remus tried not to join in. A girl walked behind them unnoticed by James and Remus, but Sirius knew she was there. He always knew she was there these days.

Peter, the fourth member of the almost revered Marauders, was already seated at Gryffindor table when the boys arrived for lunch, stuffing his chubby face while his watery eyes poured over his Charms notes.

"Slow down Wormtail, you're going to make yourself sick," Said Remus, not unkindly, taking the seat next to his friend.

"But don't you get it Moony?" Said Sirius, "He's trying to make himself sick on purpose so he can miss next period."

"I'm not!" Protested Peter, "I'm really not!"

"Sure Peter," Said James, smirking at the stressed out form of Wormtail.

Peter sighed, looking at his calm friends, "How can you guys be so effortlessly good at NEWT level subjects?"

"Hey, I'm not effortlessly good at anything," Said Remus

James shrugged, "I can't help it. I'm just amazing,"

"Gee, just when I thought you'd deflated your head, Potter," Said Lily Evans dryly from behind him,

"Lily!" He exclaimed, sitting up slightly straighter, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

She rolled her eyes, "C'mon James. We were going to meet in the library, remember? To organise the prefect duties and stuff."

James grinned sheepishly, "Sorry Lily, I wanted to eat first."

She rolled her eyes again, but now she was smiling, "You're a pig James Potter. All you ever think of is food and Quidditch."

He grinned, "And you, of course."

She waved a hand at him airily, "Oh shush, would you. I'll meet you in the library when you're done, okay?"

He smiled, and bowed at her in his seat, "You can count on it, fair lady."

She chuckled and walked away, her dark red hair swinging behind her.

James watcher her go, pure affection on his face. Sirius watched the exchange and said, "Well, well, well Prongs. Was that an almost friendly exchange of words between you and Miss Evans?"

"Yes Padfoot, I believe it was."

Remus chuckled, "The first, and knowing those two, the last."

"Oh shut up," Said James lightly, still smiling. He scoffed down some Shepard's Pie and then was off to the library with Lily, a new spring in his step.

"Ah, young love," Said Sirius jokingly

"Speaking of love, where's Anna today?" Asked Peter, flipping a page in his notes

Sirius shrugged, "Off somewhere with her friends, I suppose." He checked his watch "Well kids, I'd better be off."

"Where are you going?" Remus asked, puzzled

Sirius shrugged, "I'll be around."

Sirius paced around Hogwarts, avoiding having to go to Charms. It was, of course, not the test he was worried about, but where he has been forced to sit in the classroom. He grimaced, and as he remembered the lesson, he was hit by a fresh flood of annoyance. Having arrived late to the first Charms lesson of the year, he had lost his usual seat next to James to Lily Evans. Anna, being in Hufflepuff, didn't have Charms with the Gryffindors so that automatically ruled her out, and since Remus and Peter were sitting together, he was left to fend for himself. So, left out, annoyed and with the sincere apologises of his friends in his ears, Sirius had grumbled and pounded his way to the back of the classroom, to take the only unoccupied seat in the room next to Klara.

There were only two widely known things about Klara Pernondi: the first was that she was extremely strange and the second was that she had a violent temper when her buttons were pushed hard enough. Seeing as Klara was a Gryffindor, she and Sirius had had their fair share of encounters over the years, all of which had ended with Sirius being dragged, carried or helped in some way to the hospital wing. He visibly cringed as he walked towards her, imagining being stuck next to her for the rest of the year, enduring her presence. In the common room and at meal times, Sirius avoided her as much as possible, having finally learned that no matter how much fun annoying her could be, it was never worth the apparently mandatory trip to the hospital wing that he knew would always ensue. Being thoroughly beaten up by a girl wasn't good for his reputation. So, he sat down lightly, and didn't look at the girl next to him. The lesson went quite normally. It appeared that Lily and James were passing notes to one another, a look of joy on James' face and one of annoyance on Lily's. Lily and Klara had always been good, if not the best of, friends, so, Sirius couldn't understand why they weren't sitting together. Deciding it was worth a shot, he turned to Klara

"Hey, Pernondi." He whispered to her, for Flitwick was still talking

"Black," She murmured back curtly, not looking away from the board

"Why aren't you sitting with Evans?"

Her quill stopped moving on the page, and she whispered back, "Why aren't you sitting with Potter?"

Sirius was taken aback, and said, "Because Evans got there first!"

Klara smiled slightly at him, "No, Sirius. James took my seat next to Lily and refused to move. And Lily, being the stubborn mule that she is, wouldn't move either, because she had decided that was her seat. Now they're stuck together. The idiots."

Sirius shook his head, "I don't understand why he hasn't just given up on her."

"You wouldn't" She said.

"What do you mean?"

She looked at him, and it was as if her gaze was burning holes through him, "It's obvious that you've never really loved someone, because if you had, you wouldn't ask that question."

Sirius open and closed his mouth several times, but realised he had nothing to say. What he should have said, of course, was that he was in love with Anna and that what James felt for Lily was just lust. But, he couldn't. It would've been a lie. Not the bit about loving Anna, of course. He loved her as much as he knew how, but it was the part about James only feeling lust for Lily. That was a downright lie.

"They're not dating," He muttered mutinously

"For now," Said Klara, "But it is inevitable. And love doesn't need a relationship to exist"

"You're delusional," He told her cheerfully

"Shut up Black." She snapped, louder than she had intended.

"You shut up!" He snapped back, childishly

"You started it!" She said, their conversation getting louder and louder, with people in the class turning to look at them

"Mr Black and Miss Pernondi. Is there something the rest of the class can help you with?" Said Flitwick in his squeaky voice

"No, professor," They both muttered, not looking at each other.

They had spent the rest of the lesson in silence, but what had Sirius worried was what had happened that night in the common room, when it was very late. Klara was the only person still up when Sirius had come down stairs from his dorm. He had received a letter from his cousin Andromeda, informing him that she was set to marry Ted Tonks. He had, of course, been elated by the news, but it had got him thinking to what Klara had said. The stuff about what real love was. And seeing her sitting there, reading calmly, seemed to make his blood boil.

He trumped down the stairs, and snapped at her, "So tell me, Klara. What would you know about love anyway?"

She jumped out of her chair and had drawn her wand, "What are you on about, you blithering idiot?"

"You said I wouldn't understand real love."

She stared at him, and then lowered her wand and started to laugh, "Oh Sirius Black. It has taken my seven years to truly say something that got under your skin. Who ever would have thought it would've been something about love."

Sirius drew his wand, "Shut up."

She glared at him, "You came down here, demanding answers of me, and now you're telling me to shut up? Well, you know what? I'm not going to. You listen here, you big arse. Love is something unexplainable and unplanned. It just hits you. Like lightening. You can't explain it- it just is."

"Tell me Klara, how many times, precisely, have you been in love?"

She drew herself up, "A precise number of zero times."

He laughed, "Then what the hell would you know?"

"A lot more than you. Tell me, Sirius. How many times have you been in love?"

He stared at her, and said, "Well, Anna-"

"I didn't ask about Anna." She said scathingly, "I asked how many times you've been in love,"

Sirius stammered and said, "Once. With Anna."

"Have you told her that?"

He nodded and she laughed coldly, "You dirty, rotten liar."

"How dare you!"

"Oh shut up, Sirius. I'm going to bed. Goodnight." She stooped down and picked up her book and then marched towards the girl's dormitory.

Sirius called after her, "What makes you think James loves Lily? What makes you think that's so real?"

She stopped and turned to him, smiling, "What makes you think it isn't? Have you seen the way he looks at her, and the way Lily looks at him when she thinks no one's looking? It is, quite simply, love. All Lily has to do is stop being a prat and embrace it."

Sirius didn't have an answer, and Klara knew this and kept walking.

The conversation played in Sirius' head as he lined up for Charms, having realised that pacing the Hogwarts corridors was quite pointless. Klara was already there too, conversing with Lily. They whispered to one another in that way that girl's do when you know they're discussing boys. He looked around, but James wasn't there. Peter and Remus showed up together, with Remus quizzing Peter on the different types of Charms they were bound to be asked about. The relief on Sirius' face when he saw them was so obvious it made Remus beam at him.

"Ready for the test, Wormy?" He said, nudging his shorter friend

Peter gulped, "I suppose."

"Don't worry, you'll be fine." Said Remus, "All you can do now is your best."

"How touching," Said Snape, as he walked up to them, "How positively touching,"

"Hey Snivellus,' Said Sirius loudly, "Washed your hair lately?"

"Oh shut up Black, you blood traitor pretty boy,"

"What!" Roared Sirius, reaching for his wand

"What did you just say, Severus?" Said James Potter calmly, walking down the hall

"You heard me, Potter."

"Well, I heard you, but I hope I didn't hear you correctly. Because if I did, you just called my friend here a blood traitor and a pretty boy all in one breath."

"What are you going to do?" He sneered, "Set the Mudblood on me?"

Before either James or Sirius could react, Snape was sent flying backwards into a wall. He hit his head and slid down slowly, barely conscience.

"You listen to me, Severus Snape." Said Klara as she walked forward with her wand out, books discarded, "If I ever, ever hear you refer to Lily that way again, I will curse you so hard, it'll make your ancestors dizzy. Are we clear?"

"Stop it Klara!" Said Lily, "it's not worth it!"

But Klara didn't hear Lily. She glared at Snape, "Did you hear me, you greasy Death Eater?"

The people around them gasped, unsure what to do.

"What's this?" Said a quiet voice from the end of the hall. Albus Dumbledore came striding towards them at an even, steady pace, his facial expression blank and calm, "Klara, put your wand away please, and follow me. Now, Dawlish, Trout, if you would be kind enough to help Severus up, I believe he needs to go to the hospital wing. That was a particularly strong Impedimenta spell he was hit with, he may have a few broken ribs."

"Follow you, sir?" She asked quietly

"Yes, please. I believe it is time we had a small talk, you and I."

"But she has a test now sir," said Sirius, unexpectedly, "She shouldn't miss it, should she?"

Dumbledore gave Sirius the smallest of smiles, "It can be rearranged Sirius. Now, Klara, please."

Klara stared at Sirius only a moment, and then followed Dumbledore.

"Oi, Pernondi!" Said Sirius

"What, Black?" She snapped

"Nice work."

She stared him again, and scampered after Dumbledore, having nothing to say in reply.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, hey! Thanks for the reviews and such you guys! I'm rather chuffed. Well, I should probably have said it's set in the Marauders 7th year at Hogwarts, shouldn't I? Well, yeah, I said it now. So, this means James is Head Boy and Lily is Head Girl. The Gryffindor prefects and Remus and Mary. Mary isn't an OC, she was mentioned in Deathly Hallows once.

I'm not sure whether I really dig this next bit. I tried to my hardest to keep Dumbledore in character, but I'm sure there's time where I let him slip away from me a little. Its 3am, so yeah, maybe let me off a little haha.

Anyway.

Read, review and enjoy : )

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**Chapter Two.**

Klara sat in front Professor Dumbledore's desk, the past headmasters and mistresses of Hogwarts looking down at her, most of them with disapproving glares. Dumbledore was seated behind his desk, his hands in the prayer position, his chin resting on them while he surveyed the girl before him through his half-moon spectacles. Klara Pernondi was a fascinating girl. She brushed a chunk of brown hair behind on ear. It had once been extremely long, but now it barely brushed the top of her shoulders. A long fringe hung in her eyes, and she pushed it away impatiently.

"Klara, you must understand that using magic isn't going to fix all of your problems."

"I know that," She whispered, not able to meet Dumbledore's eyes

"I don't know if you do. It seems that you have been defending yourself- and most admirably, your classmates- with your wand. It does seem though that you're singling out a particular group of students to, ah, reprimand."

Klara visibly stiffened, "Is that so, sir?"

"It is. It seems you're targeting the Slytherins"

"This is crazy!" She yelled, tears welling in her eyes, "I'm targeting _them_? You're yelling at me for protecting the other people from their Death Eater mania? How many Muggle-born students have ended up in the hospital wing in the last few years because of them? They're disgusting. Their love of Voldemort and for being pure-blood's. It's pathetic. Severus Snape is a dirty coward, and he is not half as powerful, nor as deserving, as Lily."

"I am not angry with you Klara. It is fair enough, that you want to protect your friends and loved ones, but it is not your place."

"Then who's is it?" She was suddenly on her feet, "Yours? McGonagall's? You're not doing buckley's to help anyone!"

"Enough," Said Dumbledore. He did not raise his voice, but Klara stopped none the less

"Do you wish to fight? Do you truly wish to fight for what you believe in?"

"Well, of course I do!" She spluttered, "Why else would you have dragged me here if I hadn't been fighting for the greater good?"

"I have a choice to give you."

"A choice?" She said, sitting back down, "What kind of choice?"

"A choice that might change your life. If, and only if, you stop picking fights with your fellow students, I will allow you to join the Order of the Phoenix"

Her eyes widened, "I thought… I thought only witches and wizards who had finished school could join. I was going to ask you, as soon as the school year let out, but…" She stared at him, "Sir, I'll have you know I'm not picking the fights, I'm just finishing them,"

This surprised a chuckle out of Dumbledore, "Of course you are."

"I am!" She said, indignant, "If they weren't such a loathsome bunch of murdering dunderheads, I would be able to tolerate them, but they insist on being dirty toe-rags."

"Klara," He replied, his voice full of his seemingly endless patience, "I understand the death of you mother at Voldemort's hands must have been terrible for you, but-"

"Stop." Said Klara, "Don't say another thing about her, please."

"But what I have to say of her is of the utmost importance. When your mother passed on, she left a will."

"Yes, I know," Said Klara impatiently, "She left everything to me."

"Indeed, she did. But, you have not received everything she had to give."

Klara looked at him quizzically and he said, "Let me explain. Your mother was an exemplary witch, and she dedicated all of her life to fighting the Dark Arts. I have for you today a letter which she left in my possession, to give to you when the time was right."

Klara did not reply, but instead chose to stare at the floor while accepting the letter.

_Dear Klara, _(it read)

_If you are reading this, then the worst has happened. I have left you. I don't want you to grieve for me though, my darling. I am now, finally, at peace. You must do what I could not- you must discover everything you can about how to defeat Voldemort. His power is terrible and he lacks a conscience. Every person in the world has something to fear from him. I have spent my life working tirelessly against the Dark Arts and its practitioners and the only wizard I have ever heard of whose evil and power matches that of Voldemort is Grindelwald, and only Dumbledore was ever able to stop him. While neither of us is in the same league as Dumbledore, we can still do our bit. We can still gather information, and fight the battles, and believe in the greater good! Today, Professor Dumbledore will give you all of my papers, my journals and the dangerous artefacts I have collected over the years. You must read them carefully and continue my work, because it will benefit all of mankind. Trust Professor Dumbledore; he can help you with whatever you're doing. Remember that I love you, and never forget that you always made me proud._

_All my love,_

_Mum_

She bit her lip, determined not to cry. "But what can I do to help? I don't know anything about arcane magic. I can't finish her work!"

"She seems to think you can." He said quietly, "It is a big responsibility for you. But she asked me to give it to you, and I cannot go against her wishes. The best way I can help you is to ask you to join the Order."

She gulped, "But what would I have to do?"

"While you are at school, you will attend meetings with me, and you will meet the rest of the Order. There will be other times thought, when we will discuss what work your mother left unfinished when she perished."

"What work thought?" She asked curiously, "She never told me what she was doing,"

"We will discuss the matter later, after you have gone through her things. But for now, I want your word. If you join the Order, you will fight for what you believe in, but you will not target the Death Eaters here at Hogwarts. By all means, defend yourself. I do not intend you to be a sitting duck, but I don't want you to start fights either."

She looked at him, "You'll really let me join, sir?"

Dumbledore nodded, his blue eyes locked with her golden brown ones, "I will."

She nodded, "Okay. But, can I ask a favour sir?"

He smiled slightly, "It depends, let me hear it Klara."

"Can I still jinx Black if he annoys me enough?"

Dumbledore smiled, "I don't believe it would breech our contract, but I think it would be best if you avoided it."

She grumbled, but agreed, "Okay."

"Thank you, Klara."

She smiled at him, "I know you're just trying to keep me out of trouble, but I appreciate the gesture all the same, Professor."

He smiled, "If I could keep all my students out of all trouble, Klara, I would. But for now, I can only hope to protect one, and that will be enough. I will send for you when we have our first meeting. Here are you mother's things."

Dumbledore handed her a large oak, solid chest, with an ornate 'C' engraved on the top. The lid was pattered with floral carvings, while the bottom of the rest remained plain and iridescent. The clasp was large, and of a dusty gold kind of colour. The edges of the chest were gold too.

"Thank you Professor," She whispered

After Klara had walked out of the office, Phineas Nigellus Black said, "Dumbledore, of all the things you've done whilst Headmaster, this has got to be the strangest. What are thinking, inviting a student in your precious Order?"

Dumbledore smiled sadly, "If you were the type to understand this sort of thing, Phineas, I would not need to explain it you."

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the endddddd.

for now.

Chapter Three, coming soon!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three. Don't mind my spelling errors, I'm a terrible typist.

If you're digging the story, write a review and tell me all about it. I appreciate anything you guys have to say. : )

Thanks to all the people who either reviewed or added this story to their favourites list or their story alert list. It pretty much makes me happy in the pants : )

Now!

ONWARDS!

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**Chapter Three**

Klara was sitting on her bed in her dorm while everyone else was at class. Her curtains were drawn and she was staring at the ornate chest her mother had left for her. Her pulse was racing as she traced her fingers over the 'C' marking. C for Carvell. Her mother's maiden name. She took a deep breath, and opened the chest. She had expected alarm bells to ring, or for something exciting to happen. But nothing did. She laughed nervously; she had been afraid of nothing. Inside were 3 small velvet boxes, a worn, leather diary and a throng of sheets tied together by a piece of string. She had to admit, she was slightly disappointed. She took out her mothers things, and placed them lovingly and carefully on the bed. She ran her fingers over the diary. Words were scrawled across the front of the diary in her mother's wide, messy writing. "This is property of Eva Amana Carvell. Enter at your own risk". She longed to read it, but decided to save it for later. At the bottom of the chest, unnoticed by her before, was a thick, leather bound notebook. Klara pulled it out, and it was surprisingly heavy. Words were scrawled in a heavy, bold font on the front of this too, but the writing here was different, "Thomas Pernondi". She gasped. Her father. But he had died years and years ago now, when she had just started at Hogwarts. She opened the book and a fierce, fierce wind began. Images were pushed and crammed into every space of her mind, and she screamed with the pain of it. There were flashes of her father as a small child, being pushed over by his older brother. Another fought its way to clarity, of her father coming to Hogwarts. He was on the Hogwarts Express, laughing with his friends. Then he was in a room she did not recognize, but assumed to be the Slytherin common room, as that was the house he had been in. How her mother had come to marry a Slytherin, she would never know. Or would she? An image of her father as an older man, working against the Dark Arts with her mother. The two of them holding hands, and sharing a first kiss. It shimmered and changed to the day of her birth, when she had come into the world looking so much like her mother. And from there on in, things became murkier and murkier. The images made no sense at all. There was her father, standing over a man who was begging for his life. Then another, of her father holding some trinket in his hand. Then of her mother and her father, standing facing one another outside her home, her mother with her wand in her hand. There was a flash of green light, and then everything went black.

Sirius was lounging in Gryffindor common room. He had snuck Anna in. And by snuck, he meant lead her to the common room and told her the password. She was sitting, learning against his legs whilst he read 'Quidditch Through The Ages' for the millionth time. It was actually James' copy, so it was pretty worn anyway.

"Siri," she said, using his nickname. He still didn't have the heart to tell her he despised it.

"Yes, Anna," He replied, placing a hand on her hair

"I've been thinking,"

"Mmm?" he replied

"This is really important, so listen okay?"

"I'm listening, love" he said, smiling at her

"Do you think I should dye my hair brown?"

He stopped and stared at her, "What?"

"Well, I think the blonde is starting to get a bit passé"

James heard the exchange between the two and snorted loudly, but passed it off as a violent sneeze. Remus whacked him over the head with his potions book.

"Anna, I don't care what colour your hair is."

"What do you mean, you don't care?"

He stared at her, "Well, it doesn't bother me if it's blonde or brown."

"Why not?" She snapped

He stopped and then said, "Well, because I would love you whichever way you had it."

She blinked and then beamed at him, "Oh Siri. I would love you, even if your hair was green."

He smiled, appreciating the sentiment, but perhaps not the subject.

Lily walked through the portrait hole, looking harassed, "Urgh, those first years are disgusting."

James smiled at her, "What did they do now?"

"What didn't they do?" She snapped, "I was walking around the castle, doing the rounds, and they were running wild on the 7th floor, making an absolute ruckus, and trying to dual one another. I called McGonagall, and she's sorting them all out now and sending them to their respective Heads. But Jesus. What little toe-rags."

"Was it really violent?" Asked Anna

"Yeah, actually, it was," Said Lily, "It was pure insanity,"

Sirius grinned at James, "Sounds like fun."

James grinned back at him, "Yeah the kind of thing we would've done, back in the day."

"No it isn't James." She said, grim faced, "They were Slytherin's, attacking people who were Muggleborn's."

"You're joking!" Said Remus, "You've got to be joking, Lily."

"Would I joke about this Remus?"

"No, no of course you wouldn't" he whispered, "That's so awful."

Sirius growled, sounding something like a large dog, "That's pitiful and disgusting. They're only children."

Anna looked stricken, "My brother is in first year," She got up, "I have to go. I'll see you later, Siri." She plated a kiss on his mouth and ran out the portrait hole

"Bye Annnnaaaa" Called James, slightly snidely

"Don't be like that James," Hissed Lily

"Lily, she's not Muggleborn."

Lily stopped and stammered, "Well, she's still just being caring."

"I'll bet she is," Muttered James, as Lily bade them goodnight and moved towards the dorms.

"Oh shut up, would you Prongs?" Said Sirius

"What?" He said innocently

"James," Said Remus very seriously, "Don't start."

"Just leave Anna alone, okay?" Snapped Sirius

"Padfoot, seriously. You could have any girl in the school, and yet you pick one that has half a brain?"

"She's easy." Said Sirius quietly. James raised an eyebrow at him, and Sirius sighed, exasperated, "Not that kind of easy. She's happy, Prongs. She's just so happy with everything in her life. I'd usually find it disgusting but I somehow find it endearing. She's easy to be with. Sure, she's not the brightest girl ever, but her heart is in the right place."

James looked at Sirius, "Mate, listen. She's not for you. You don't even really like her."

"I do too," Said Sirius, "I like her a lot."

"Yeah, for now. But you're going to get bored. You can't spend the rest of your life talking about whether or not you prefer blondes or brunettes. People may call her Anna Black, but they're all deluded."

Sirius rolled his eyes, "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

"Oh my God!" Screamed Lily, "Klara! Klara, wake up!"

"Lily!" said James, jumping up at once and running to the stairs, "Are you alright?"

Lily appeared at the doorway, looking stricken, "James, there's something wrong with Klara, she's passed out."

"I can't get up there!" He said, glaring at the stairs in agitation, "Boy's aren't allowed. Levitate her down and I'll call McGonagall!"

"I'll come with you!" Said Remus, sprinting after James

Sirius ran over, "Lily, can I help?"

"Yes, please Sirius. When I get her down, can you carry her over to the couch?"

"Sure, of course Lily,"

Lily floated Klara down the stairs, her body was limp. Sirius took her in his arms and, once Lily lifted the spell, realised Klara was heavier than she looked. He grunted, and put her on the couch, arranging her arms and legs so that she looked comfortable. Lily came over and moved Klara's hair from her face, touched her cheeks, "She's so warm, Sirius."

"What happened to her?" He whispered, "Do you think someone attacked her?"

"What, and stashed her in her dorm, without anyone seeing or knowing?" Said Lily, "Or, are you suggesting that the culprit was another Gryffindor?"

Sirius shrugged under her harsh gaze, "Lily, you know what she's like, she's not afraid to stand up to people. Someone might've finally gotten the better of her. We should hurry and take her to the hospital wing. She might be seriously hurt."

"Sirius, why do you even care?" She snapped at him, "You two hate each other,"

"I don't hate her," Said Sirius, affronted, "I just like being able to stay away from the hospital wing."

Lily rolled her eyes, and checked Klara's pulse, "If you weren't such a prat, you would've been fine."

"I know that." He said.

She stopped and stared at him, "You know what Sirius?"

"What, Lily?"

"You and James have amazed me these last two years, with the changes. I think Anna has been good for you."

He smiled at her, "I'll tell James that."

Her eyes widened, "No, no, that's quite alright. I'd prefer if you didn't."

McGonagall came striding into the Gryffindor common room at the moment and spotted Klara, "Dear Lord. How long has she been out for?"

"I don't know, Professor." Said Lily, "It could've been minutes, it could've been hours."

"Don't worry, we'll get her to the hospital wing."

"Can I come along, Professor?" Asked Lily, "I…"

McGonagall held up one had, "Yes Miss Evans, you may come, but Mr's Black and Lupin should go to bed."

"And Mr Potter," Pointed out Sirius

She glared at him, "Yes, and Mr Potter too."

Klara let out a moan, and her eyelids twitched open, "Lily?" She whispered

"I'm here!" Lily said, taking her hand. People were gathering around them now, whispering and pointing at Klara

"Off to bed with you now!" Snapped McGonagall, "I am not in a good mood this evening, and you're all pushing it."

"Water, please," Klara said, hoarse

"Of course," Said Lily and she conjured a goblet and filled it with water, "Here, drink"

Klara whispered, "What happened?"

"I found you, lying on you bed, next to that chest. It wasn't even open, what the hell happened in there?"

Klara licked her lips, and decided right now might be the time to lie "I don't know."

Sirius leaned in over Lily's shoulder, "All right, Pernondi?"

She gave him a glare (albeit, a weak one) and snapped, "Can I spend one minute of my time without having to look at you?"

He laughed, "Oh, but you would hate that."

"Arsehole." She muttered

"Can you sit up?" Asked Lily

"Yes, I'm okay to sit up." She said, and Lily helped her move into a sitting position

"You don't look so good, Pernondi. Are you going to puke?" Said Sirius, looking at her

"Just go away, Sirius!" She snapped

"Okay, geez," He said, "C'mon Prongs, Moony, she's fine."

Professor McGonagall looked down at Klara, "I think we need to talk, young lady."

Klara grimaced, "Why do people keep saying that to me today?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

End.

Chapter Four coming very soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys. Pretty sure there's a part in this where everything Sirius says sounds like babble. But hey, it's once again the wee hours of the morning. This story is just bouncing in my head like mad. I think I might even get to the end of this one, which is something I've never done with a fic.

Anyway, thanks for the support, keep it coming and such.

Enjoy guys : )

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**Chapter Four**

After a trip to the hospital wing, and some stern words from Madam Pomfrey, Klara was wrapped in a blanket and seated in Professor McGonagall's office. She was sipping some tea, and had been told to miss all her classes the next day.

"Miss Pernondi, I need you to tell me everything that happened."

"It wasn't really much, Professor." She looked at her Head of House, "Professor Dumbledore was keeping a chest full of my mothers possessions, and I didn't realise I would need a counter-curse to open the box. It knocked me out, and Lily found me." _"Well, that was basically the truth," _She thought, _"I left out all the really intense details, but hey. I'm better off if no one else knows."_

"What was in the box that she needed to guard so heavily?"

Klara shrugged, "Her treasures."

"Klara, Professor Dumbledore has informed me you've decided to join the Order,"

Klara stared at her, "Yes. I have. Are you in the Order too Professor?"

McGonagall looked at her, "Don't sound so surprised," She said dryly

"Wow, I would never have guessed! That's amazing!"

McGonagall gave her the barest smiles, "Thank you, Miss Pernondi. The Headmaster also told me you've been instructed to keep out of fights."

Klara gulped, "He might've mentioned it."

"I heard what happened with Severus Snape today."

Klara fired up at once, "He called Lily a-"

"I am very aware of what her called Miss Evans. Do not think the teachers aren't keeping an eye on students of Severus Snape's nature. Soon, will we be able to control the situation a bit better."

Klara eyes widened, "Really? How?"

"You will know very soon," She said, "Now, the Headmaster has instructed me not to give you detention for your actions today, so you're free to go back to bed. Did you need me to escort you back to Gryffindor tower?"

"No, Professor. It's only down the hall."

"Good. Now, behave yourself Miss Pernondi."

"Always, Professor. Always.

When Professor McGonagall eventually let her go, Klara was finally allowed some time to think about her day. Her mind was reeling. What a day! It all felt like some absurd dream. It was all incredulous. She had joined the Order of the Phoenix, and was on the road to getting a real chance to help fight Voldemort. She had witnessed her father's life in a way she never imagined she would. She wasn't sure whether it made her feel closer to him or not. The scene of his death that she had witnessed had been horrific. It had made it seem like her mother had killed her father. But she knew that was impossible. It must've been part of the spell on the book. Seeing her mother the way she had in the images of her fathers life had been hard. She had been vibrant, and young. She had been working and fulfilling her dreams. Klara ran her hands through her short hair. She cringed when she reached the end, missing what was gone. It was gone now, gone like many things in her life. But it was just hair. It didn't really matter. She wandered around, but couldn't bring herself to go back to the dorm. She didn't want to face Lily's questions, or Alice's concerns, or Mary's sneers or Cynthia's quiet indifference. Whats she found most interesting is that Lily said the chest wasn't even open. Did it somehow suck everything back in? She sighed, the mystery of the chest growing. She found herself walking the steps to the astronomy tower. She ran out to the edge, almost panicky, and took a gulp of night air. The sky was clear, the stars bright, the moon full- she slowly clamed her breathing and once she did, she felt calm, and peaceful. She had lost count of the number of times she'd come out here this term alone to calm the panic attacks down. It really seemed to be the only thing that helped.

She heard voices from the other side of the tower,

"Siri, your hair is lovely in the moonlight." Anna said, smiling at him

Sirius looked troubled, learning over the edge, "Thankyou, Anna. You didn't need to follow me up here, you know."

"Well, you looked so upset after what happened in your common room with Klara and I thought you needed some comfort,"

"I'm fine, thanks."

"I'll just go then, shall I?" She said, rather sweetly, taking no offence at Sirius' apathy towards her presence. Klara frowned and shook her head. She couldn't understand what an asshole like Sirius was doing with someone like Anna. Sure, Anna was the personification of stupid, but she always did the right thing by people.

"If you want," He said quietly, "I don't think I'll be much company."

She smiled at him, kissed his check and walked down the stairs, her hair long golden curls swishing behind her. Klara watched her go, shaking her head

"Sirius, I wonder about you, you know."

Sirius jumped out of his skin and drew his wand. Noticing it was Klara, he relaxed, visibly breathing out, "Are you following me now?" He asked, amused

"Hardly," She said, walking over to stand next to him, and look out over Hogwarts, "I come here all the time to clear my head."

He nodded, "I can see why. It's usually very quite up here."

She smirked, "I guess I'm not the only one who comes her often,"

He smirked back, "No, you're not."

They both said nothing for a while, until Sirius said, "Are you feeling alright now?"

She nodded, "I'm fine, just an object with spell on it. Must've been a prank."

He nodded, "Well it wasn't me or James."

She laughed, "No, you two seem to be all grown up."

He smiled, and then said, "I think this is one of the first civil conversations we've had in seven years."

She laughed, "I think it's the only civil conversation we've had in seven years."

"Why though?" He asked, "I mean, we get along okay when we try."

She laughed, "I can't believe you would even ask that! Why? Well, why do you think? Man, you were always such a prat to me, and I have a bad temper. What did you think would happen?"

He grinned, "I don't know, really. I just always enjoyed annoying you. No one else ever got as annoyed at me as you did."

"You did what you were good at."

Sirius chuckled but didn't answer, letting that comfortable silence swamp them again. He was deeply surprised at just how comfortable he felt; standing on the astronomy tower exchanging small talk with Klara. The moon was the only thing shining light down on them, and it caught in Klara's hair and Sirius couldn't help but admire how it looked. He cringed then, and felt like a total prat. _"What has gotten into you, Padfoot?" _He asked himself, _"Standing here, watching Klara Pernondi's hair shine in the moonlight? You sound like James obsessing over Lily."_

They stood in silence until Sirius broke it again, "What you did today, defending Lily, was fantastic. You actually broke some of Snivellus' ribs. I was so proud."

She chuckled, "Yeah, but now I've got to be good."

Sirius smiled, "Old Dumbly told you to behave?"

She laughed, "Don't call him Dumbly, Sirius"

"I mean it with the utmost affection." He said

"I'll bet," She said, "And yes, Dumbledore told me to behave myself."

"How boring." He replied

"What were you doing up here?" She asked him, changing the subject and not daring to look at him

"Thinking." He replied steadily, but there was a harder edge in his voice then there had been before

"About?"

"My summer."

"Was it good or bad?"

"Neither," Sirius said, "and both."

"Cryptic." She replied

"I try my best. You've got to keep people guessing."

She laughed, "Indeed."

"What did you come up here for?"

She smiled, "The same reason as you."

"What was wrong with your summer?"

She laughed hollowly, "What was right about it is probably the thing to say."

"Well, I ran away from home and my mother disowned me. I'm probably never going to see my family ever again. I had nothing in common with them, but still."

"You wish you did though." She said quietly, "I get that."

He nodded, "It might've been nice, you know? It's kinda like," He stopped and waved his hands, "Like, when you're watching that thing Muggles call television, and the show is so real, and you could fall right into it, but you know you're always separate. That's what being in my family was like.

"I'm sorry, Sirius."

"Why? It's not your fault,"

Klara shrugged, "I'm sorry because even though you're a prat, you still deserved a family."

He laughed, "Thanks, Pernondi."

She shrugged and looked up at him, "What did you do, after you left home?"

"Went to James'" He said predictably, "I had no where else to go. But, my Uncle passed away of old age recently, and he's left me a fair bit of gold, so I'm thinking of getting my own place, you know? For when school finishes."

She nodded, "House hunting is hard."

"Yeah, I just want something small that I don't need to clean."

She laughed, "You lazy sod."

"I don't know why I'm telling you all this." He said suddenly, "I haven't even told Anna about running away from home. She went abroad during the summer, and I didn't mention it in my owls."

She shrugged, "Sometimes it's easier to talk to someone who's almost your enemy than it is to talk to your best friends."

"Precisely. I really don't get that though."

"Neither," She said, "But that's just the way things are."

He nodded and said, "What was so bad that it drove you out here?"

She gulped, "My- my mother. She was killed by- by Voldemort personally over the holidays. Things have been really, really hard since. I lost my mind for a little bit. I didn't know who I was, or where I was going. I wasn't even going to come back to school. I felt like someone had ripped a limb from my body. It wasn't just grief that I felt though. I was so scared Sirius, so scared all of the time. I was alone, and I was jumping at shadows. Every noise was a Death Eater, or Voldemort, come for my head the way they'd taken my mothers. And I was so angry Sirius, so angry all the time. It was like I'd been holding all this rage inside since my father died, and it was finally coming out. Our house was a wreck when I left for school this summer. I was so… destructive."

"Is that why you cut your hair?" He whispered

She nodded, whispering "I didn't even know who I was anymore."

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Klara."

"Thankyou Sirius."

"One day, someone, somewhere is going to find a way to kill that bastard Klara. And then everything will be okay. There will be a day when you're not scared anymore."

She nodded and felt something fierce building her chest, "Yes. Someone, somewhere will," her eyes watered, "Someday."

She felt Sirius' hand brushed her arm, and her skin tingled where he at touched her. The stared at each other- stormy grey eyes meeting golden brown. Sirius moved a step closer to her, and Klara, instinctively moved one step back. His face hardened a little, but he walked towards her anyway. She gulped, and refused to step back. She was a Gryffindor, wasn't she? Wasn't she supposed to be brave? Every hair on her body was standing on end, and as the bottom of Sirius' robes brushed the hem of hers, it was like electricity sparked between them.

"What are you doing?" She whispered,

"I don't know" He whispered back, "but I kinda like it."

"Me too." She said, her breath coming rather faster than it should've been.

He reached down and his fingers trembled has he brought them up to touch her cheek. She shut her eyes, and lifted her hands to touch Sirius. Suddenly, the wind whipped around them, and the door that lend back into the school slammed shut. A few owls hooted, and flew out of the eaves in which they had been silently hiding. Klara and Sirius both jumped when the door slammed. They looked at each other, and Sirius being to chuckle nervously.

"I've got to go, Sirius," Klara said, hurrying to the door and tugging at the handle desperately. It had locked. "Damn it." She said, beating a fist on it. She had to get away! Not only had she just revealed her darkest secret to Sirius Black, of all people, he had been comforting, and understanding!

"Where do you think you're going, Klara?" He asked, his voice amused

"To bed." She said, "To dream." She continued to pull on the doorknob but it wouldn't budge.

Sirius reached over shoulders and tapped the doorknob with his wand and it swung open, "Goodnight then." He said

She shivered at the close proximity of his body, and then she ran like a bat out of hell, her eyes slightly wild and her heart beating madly.

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Yeah. End. 


	5. Chapter 5

Well, let me warn you now.

This chapter is really melodramatic. And I mean Mills and Boon melodramatic. So I apologise now, but I have to be honest. I love writing melodramatic romance. So we're probably going to get a bit of it happening haha. I can probably attribute it to the fact I've been listening to one of my old Dashboard Confessional CDs all day and all they sing about is love. I'm seriously considering a songfic chapter soon hey haha.

Anyway.

Read and review : )

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**Chapter Five**

Klara sat at the back of Transfiguration, watching Sirius and James as they worked, whispering to one another and stifling laughs. Lily had her head down next to her, and was deep in note taking. A week had passed since the incident with Sirius on the tower, and they hadn't spoken since. He just watched her, and she him. If they ever caught each other's gaze, what ensued was an intense staring contest that left Klara unable to concentrate on anything else for the rest of the day. He haunted her dreams and her thoughts and even her bloody common room. She couldn't get away from him. She wasn't sure if it was worse when they were just watching each other, or when he was with Anna. She had always felt a sort of distant dislike for the overly happy girl, just simply because she was too nice, but now it had extended to a river of deep jealousy. She used to wonder what a nice girl like Anna was doing with a prat like Sirius, but now that she was watching Anna's behaviour almost as closely as she was watching Sirius', she had begun to wonder what a deep person like Sirius was doing with an idiot like Anna. Sure, she was a nice girl. But Jesus, what a simpleton. In the last three days that she had sat in Gryffindor common room, she had not spoken a word about anything other than whether she would dye her hair brown, what new dress robes were in fashion, and whole lot of other pointless crap. Klara couldn't believe it. Her life seemed so perfect. She didn't have the weight of her mother's chest on her shoulders, nor the fatal attraction to someone she had once considered an enemy. Klara banged her forehead onto the desk, and Lily raised a quizzical eyebrow at her best friend.

"Klara, what are you doing?" She whispered, "McGonagall is looking at you!"

"Lily," She whispered, "I'm just so tired."

Lily's eyes softened, "We're all tired, Klara."

"I just want to go back in time and erase everything," She whispered, "I just want to change it all."

"Miss Evans and Miss Pernondi, please be quiet and sit up."

"Yes, Professor," Murmured Lily, squeezing Klara's hand under the desk.

Klara sat up, and Sirius had turned to look at her. He met her gaze and the look he gave her melted her. It was something between concerned and 'come-hither' and she wanted him so badly. But she knew it was stupid. He had shown an interest, but he was off limits. He was dating someone else, and until they broke up, she wouldn't have anything to do with him. She couldn't stand the idea of being the 'other woman'. Just that moment the other night on the astronomy tower made her insides squirm with guilt. But he was looking at her with those grey eyes, and she just wanted him so much that it hurt. She couldn't understand where any of this came from. Oh sure, she had always been able to _see_ he was attractive, but she'd never felt it, not like this. She had a suspicion it had begun in that first, fateful lesson in Charms when he had come into the room, his face so much thinner and paler than she had ever seen it, his hair longer, brushing his collar. Perhaps it was the slightly hollow cheeks, and the way his eyes had been like storms. He had changed, but it suited him, made him more mysterious. He looked older, more serious somehow. His shoulders had broadened, as if he had needed more room to carry his burdens. She had known as soon as she felt the swooping sensation in her stomach that things had changed between them. She grimaced, and tried to catch up with the note taking. She felt like vomiting, thinking poetic, lovey-dovey thoughts about Sirius Black, but she couldn't help it. She just couldn't bloody help it. He had sat down next to her in Charms and not uttered a word, and she had glanced at him shyly through her hair the whole lesson and he hadn't even noticed.

She still hadn't been brave enough to re-open her mother's chest again. She badly wanted to read the journal, but was unsure. If something else happened, she would be hard pressed to explain to everyone what it was. The class went slowly, and when it ended, Klara and Lily walked towards the Great Hall for lunch. Klara was reluctant to speak and Lily didn't push her. She knew the 'I don't want to talk about it' look Klara had on her face all too well to push her into talking. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter arrived at the table, pushing each other and laughing. Klara shut her eyes and ignored their laughter,

"Klara, what's wrong with you?" Lily whispered, pushing her face close to her friends

"Oh Lily, I don't even know anymore." She threw down her knife and fork, "I'm going to the library. I'll see you in charms." And then she ran for it.

"Klara! Come back!" Lily called, "Klara!"

But she didn't listen. Sirius watched her go, set his face, and took off after her.

Klara was running. Her bag was banging against her hip, and before she realised it, she was outside the castle, and past the lake, and near the forest

"Klara!" A voice called out, "Where the hell are you going?"

She stopped, her nerves standing on end. She spun and was faced with Sirius who was panting from exertion.

"Just get away from me!" She yelled at him, "Just get the hell out of my head, and my classes, and my dreams and my life!"

"I can't," he said, "I just, can't. I don't know what the hell it is about you, but I can't. I can't leave you alone. I watch you when you walk, and when you're writing notes in class, and when you're trying to study, and when you're laughing with Lily and when everything! I count the hours until Charms, when I can sit next to you, and watch you from such a close range. I wait for the way you throw your fringe out of your face; because that's the only time you'll look at me properly." He took her face in his hands, and her breath caught in her throat. He stared down at her with so much intensity his eyes were almost silver, "And now, I'm going to kiss you. I'm going to kiss you so hard that it will bruise, but if I don't, I think I'll lose my mind."

"Sirius," She said desperately, "You're with Anna. What the hell do you want from me?"

"I just want you. I think it's all I've ever really wanted."

She began to protest. He didn't listen, he just kissed her. She tried to hit him, but gave up. It was futile. She wanted him too badly. She wrapped her hands in the collar of his uniform and kissed back.

And that's when the affair started.

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Yes, i know, it's shorter than the others. But hey, it was really just to set up for chapter 6, and if i'd put them together they'd have been too long. that is all.


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